Illuminated Threads held their first meeting in March of 2005 in Big Spring, Texas but the group had been meeting monthly for some time to do arts and sciences in the Society for Creative Anachronism. Illuminated Threads formed as a textile guild in the SCA. Non-SCA members were always welcomed. During this time the guild members began assembling a sampling of items from the various textile crafts practiced in the middle ages and began teaching classes and setting up displays of the items gathered at various SCA demos and events as well as Celtfest Texas in Odessa. This display began to be called the "Illuminated Threads Rolling Demo"
Meeting since March of 2005. Head Mistress: Pam
Beginning in April of 2005 and continuing through the remainder of the year, the guild has been working on a course of hand sewing. They are hand piecing quilts. You can see several of the completed or nearly completed tops here. You can see the next proposed project here.
January 2006 - Lady Prudence attended and invited us to join the Embellishment Guild, she taught a class on Drawn Work. Other members continued with their quilts, weaving and knitting.
February 2006 - No meeting held
March 2006 - individual projects and prepared for Celtfest Texas demo
April 2006 - no meeting due to Celtfest
May 2006 - Preparations for Coronation. Regional Banner patterns were enlarged, plates etched. Charter and bylaws were accepted by unanimous vote. Coronation demo discussed. 6 members attended.The Guild opened up the scope of study to all periods of history and accepted the charter and bylaws. The SCA region decided that they would begin holding regional demos to increase membership. IT was asked to bring the Rolling Demo to these regional demos. We attended demos in San Angelo, Lubbuck and the Celtfest in Odessa through 2007.
June 24 2006 - Garb made for several members for Coronation, Fabric requirements for Civil War quilt distributed. 8 members attended. Regional banner kits have been distributed and are in progress, deadline to finish is Gothic War.
July 8 2006 - Demo and Display held at Coronation. 11 members attended from both chapters.
Aug 26 2006 - Prepared for Gothic, civil war block of the month distributed. You can see final quilt here.
Sept 2 2006 - Gothic War, demonstrated inkle weaving and other textile crafts, all banners save one are finished.
Sept 30 2006 - members worked on civil war block of the month quilt and individual projects
Oct 2006 - members worked on preparations for member's wedding.
Nov 25 2006 - Members worked on individual projects
Dec 30 2006 - Guild holiday party and Chinese gift exchange, pot luck
Jan 27 2007 - members worked on individual projects and civil war block of the month
Feb 24 2007 - individual projects, civil war block of the month, prep for Celtfest Texas in Odessa
Mar 31 2007 - Final prep and projects for Celtfest Texas
Apr 2007 - Celtfest in Odessa, Guild members taught a variety of classes in tartan weaving, lucet braiding, etc.
May 26 2007 - Members worked on individual projects, Civil War block of the month
June 30 2007 - Guild attended Sundered Shield and held classes in weaving, knitting, lucet braiding.
July 28 2007 - Members worked on individual projects and prepped for Gothic War
Aug 2007 no meeting
Sept 1-2 2007 - Gothic War, members demonstrated inkle weaving and other textile crafts. Also attended the Ector County Fair for an SCA demo with the Rolling Demo.
Oct 27 2007 - members worked on individual projects, final blocks for Civil War quilts distributed.
Nov 24 2007 - individual projects
Dec 29 2007 - Holiday party, Chinese gift exchange, pot luck, Ldy Almaith presented instructions for making a universal slip cover for fold up camp chairs.
Jan 26 2008 - individual projects, discussed possibility of Trelac needing court pillows should they become a barony in 5 months. Various designs discussed
In January of 2008 the political situation between the local region and the Kingdom level of the SCA deteriorated. Illuminated Threads was caught between suspended and not suspended branches of the SCA. In March of 2008 Illuminated Threads voted to dissolve the guild within the SCA and to continue independently as a historical textile guild on our own. The Bylaws were updated to reflect this change and to add due process for dissolving chapters and the ability for individual chapters to have treasuries. Read our dissolution statement. These decisions are effective March 15, 2008
Feb 23 2008 - Lorien's first birthday party held, individual projects, Trelac has been informed that barony status has been put off for at least 18 months, so plenty of time to make pillows. Monthly report sent to Trelac via email since Crossrode Keep has been suspended and will have no A&S report during the suspension. Celtfest committee has been contacted and they are expecting us to teach textile classes this year and provide a display of historical textiles from the celtic world. 16 persons attended. 1 from San Angelo, 2 from Garland, 4 from Midland, 9 from Big Springs.
Mar 29 2008 - 5 members in attendance. Final prep for Celtfest Texas classes. IT members polled via the poll feature on the YahooGroups Mailing List. Poll was open for 7 days from March 7 to March 14. A small fraction of members were attending Gulf War during this time but the number was so small as to make no difference in the final outcome of the poll. 11 members for dissolution within the SCA and 1 member against. Dissolution report sent to Southern Regional A&S Minister directly as well as to the Crossrode Keep and Trelac A&S officers for inclusion in their reports. Report will be finalized via the mailing list and posted to this webpage once it's finalized. Read our dissolution statement. These decisions were effective March 15, 2008.
April 26 2008 - No meeting, Celtfest Texas rescheduled for October 4-5 due to difficulties with location scheduling on original dates.
May 31, 2008 - 6 members attended. Worked on individual projects. Discussed ways to increase membership and reach out to the community other than the SCA.
June 24, 2008 - Demo for the Girl Scouts in Abilene, Texas. 6-9 PM at Nelson Park.We set up stations for the girls to cycle through and try out each craft. 2 members in attendance with assistance from the Kingdom of Levant. Spinning wheel, inkle loom, knitting loom, lucet, harness loom. 60 Girl Scouts were in attendance. A Good time was had by all.
June 28, 2008 - 6 members in attendance. Individual projects - classes decided on for future meetings.
July 26, 2008 - 6 members in attendance in Big Spring - Blackwork Class
Aug 2, 2008 - 4 members in attendance in San Angelo - Met and demo'd at the Chicken Farm Art Center from 10 to 3. Met numerous people interested in the crafts.
Aug 16 - Demo with Carrefour Hold (Kingdom of Levant) in Big Spring. Demoing crafts of the medieval period.
Aug 23, 2008 - Big Spring - individual projects, prep for Gothic War and Celtfest Texas
Sept 27, 2008 - Regular Meeting, individual projects - Celtfest cancelled due to lack of sponsors, Gothic War a no go due to rain and rain not being good for textiles.
Oct 4, 2008 - Demo at the Chicken Farm Art Center.
Oct 27, 2008 - Regular meeting - individual projects.
Nov 1, 2008 - Demo at the Chicken Farm Art Center.
Nov 19, 2008 - Regular Meeting - individual projects.
Dec 6, 2008 - Chicken Farm Art Center/Ft Concho
Dec 27, 2008 - holiday party. Decision to alternate regular meetings between Big Spring and San Angelo; odd months in Big Spring, even months in San Angelo. New Block of the Month, Technique Sampler will begin in Feb.
Feb 7, 2009 - meeting held at Chicken Farm Art Center, San Angelo, block 1 of Technique Sampler.
Mar 14, 2009 - Demo held at Scottish-Irish Fair in Midland, Spoke with many people about IT and demonstrated weaving tartan, bands and chainmail.
Meeting since October of 2005.
January 2006 - Lady Almaith taught a class on beginning lucet braiding.
February 2006 - 3 members attended, again the beginning lucet course was given.
March 2006 - no meeting
April 2006 - 4 members attended, discussed plans to hold demo at Coronation in July and worked on individual projects
May 2006 - 3 members attended, charter and bylaws were distributed, Coronation demo and regional banners discussed.
June 2006 - No meeting held
July 8, 2006 - Demo and Display held at Coronation. 11 members attended from both chapters.
Aug 2006-Sept 2007 - Trelac members attended meetings in Crossrode Keep during this time. No
Oct 2007 - Trelac members decided to begin holding a monthly meeting in Trelac, some members continue to travel to Crossrode for their meeting as well as this meeting. The Trelac group is interested in making garb at the moment as there are a number of new members who are in need of garb for their families.
Nov 28, 2007 - members worked on garb and individual projects
Dec 19, 2007 - members worked on garb and individual projects
Jan 16, 2008 - members worked on garb and individual projects, 15 members of Trelac in attendance, not all are IT members. trelac is holding A&S on the same night and location as IT.
Feb 20, 2008 - 4 members attended and worked on individual projects, quilting, embroidery. 2 new SCA folks worked on first sets of garb.
Mar 19, 2008 - no meeting
April 16, 2008 - It was determined that there are not enough persons within the local SCA interested enough to support Illuminated Threads continuing to hold monthly meetings. There is interest in textile arts but the local SCA members all have other higher priorities at this time and are too busy to make the commitment to continuing IT in San Angelo.
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